Reforms to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program Cause Worry in Quebec

While speaking to the Canadian Press, Quebec’s Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil stated that she is against the new federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) being implemented in Quebec on April 30th, as it will hurt the province’s economy.

While speaking to the Canadian Press, Quebec’s Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil stated that she is against the new federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) being implemented in Quebec on April 30th, as it will hurt the province’s economy.

Critics believe the program will hurt many businesses’ bottom line, as they depend on temporary foreign workers, and that the program will limit the province’s ability to fill labor gaps in specific industries. Weil took particular issue with the shortening of new work permits, even though the program only shortens visa durations for incoming or renewal visa applications for low-wage workers.

Francois Vincent, director of provincial affairs at the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, stated that “fifty per cent of companies in Quebec have fewer than five employees, so it’s going to be very difficult for them to [adhere] to the 10 per cent cap [on foreign workers].” In regards to this cap, the government asserts that it will only apply to “employers with 10 or more employees…and that the cap will be applied per worksite of an employer, and is based on total hours worked at that worksite.”

The government argues that Canadian businesses cannot continue to hinge on business models that rely on low-wage foreign workers, when unemployed Quebecers could be doing the same jobs. Pierre Poilievre, Canada’s Minister of Employment and Social Development, stresses that these changes will not apply to industries that have a proven acute labor shortage, such as seasonal agricultural work, and that the program is geared more towards providing jobs to Quebecers in low-skilled, no education industries in areas with high unemployment (>6%).

Poilievre pointed out that young adults, who use these unskilled jobs as their first opportunity to enter the labor market, are currently losing jobs in the food and retail industries because they are being given to foreign workers.

The new program uses a Labor Market Impact Assessment Form (LMIA) to determine whether employers really need the foreign workers to fill acute labor market gaps. The form asks questions such as;

How many Canadians applied for this specific job?

How many Canadians were interviewed after they applied?

Why were Canadians not hired after being interviewed, and why do you need a foreign worker specifically to fill this position?

The purpose of these questions is to make sure that there are no Canadians who could have filled these positions.

Poilievre points out that the program was created as a last resort for employers in situations in which there were no Canadians available to do the work, and that it constitutes a temporary solution, and not a permanent business model.

The government press statement answering Weil’s demands states that the “government will not allow employers to hire temporary foreign workers while leaving Quebecois without jobs.”

If you are thinking of applying to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, check out our free assessment here, or for more information on the program check here.

FWCanada is a Montreal-based immigration law firm that provides professional legal services on Canadian immigration. For more tips and updates on Canadian immigration follow FWCanada on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.